'Two And A Half Men' Update: Deal With Ashton Kutcher “Will Be Done” In Time

After the Two And A Half Men renewal went down to the wire the last two years as the show raced against the clock to lock in its leading man, first Charlie Sheen, then his replacement Ashton Kutcher, things may get done ahead of time for a change this year. Sources close to the situation say that noone at CBS, which is leading the negotiations with the actor, “is concerned that the deal would be derailed.” “It is moving in the right direction and will get done,” one source said, adding that a new pact with Kutcher and a renewal for Men will probably be announced in a few weeks. Securing Men is key to CBS’ plan to possibly expand its comedy presence on Thursday and air two-hour comedy blocks on both Monday and Thursday. Along with the renewed How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and 2 Broke Girls, veteran Men would provide a building block for the anchor positions at 8 PM and 9 PM on both nights. As for Kutcher, who has indicated numerous times publicly that he would like to come back (“I’m absolutely adoring the time that I’m having,” he said recently at the Paley Fest), his paycheck is expected to get a bump and may cross the $1 million per episode mark.